Anybody ever make a potato hiller

[Propane1]

for their garden tractor, looking for ideas, again.

Noel

 

[poncho62]

I use a rake and end up with a sore back.....but I only have 6 or 7 rows.

 

[MH81]

Two
One with coulter's and one with scoops.

Honestly, I think a couple pieces of flat steel, at a 30° angle will work fine

 

[Shorty]

I do it by hand and wishing I had something. Didn't some of the old walk behinds have hiller attachment that would go on a tool bar?

 

[chieffan]

Two disk blades at an angle to make the "hill". Then plant your potatoes on top of the hill. Much easier to take care of and to dig when time is right.

 

[Cvans]

I purchased the discs and shafts then built the mounting bar. I've never used a hiller before but have to say I wouldn't raise potatoes again without one. Makes weed control much easier. Even used it on the sweet corn.
I believe these are the ones I used.
14″ Disc Hiller

 

[Cvans]

In tilled ground they do not pull hard and you have to have them farther apart than what you would think. Controlling your speed is more important than the depth when it comes to spreading the soil. I would not be afraid to use this on a garden tractor but you may not get to use it more than once a year because of the lower ground clearance and narrow wheel spacing. Used it twice this year and now the plants are filling in the rows. Sweet corn is second planting.

 

[chieffan]

In tilled ground they do not pull hard and you have to have them farther apart than what you would think. Controlling your speed is more important than the depth when it comes to spreading the soil. I would not be afraid to use this on a garden tractor but you may not get to use it more than once a year because of the lower ground clearance and narrow wheel spacing. Used it twice this year and now the plants are filling in the rows. Sweet corn is second planting.
View attachment 1711View attachment 1712View attachment 1713

Only need to use it once a year, just before you plant.

 

[Cvans]

I use mine to cover weeds that are coming up between the plants somewhat the same as a cultivator. Worked really well for that.

 

[MH81]

We used them to open the trough, then plant, then used them to cover with slight hill.
One more time after they're up 4+ and then done. The minor ditches on either side of the row help with water too.

If your GT is heavy, you can make the rig wider, to run outside the footprint, but it'll have a tendency to want to turn you into the row.

 

[Propane1]

That is what I’m trying to do. My rows are wide enough for my garden tractors to go through. I have about 4’ between rows. I would like to hill just one side at a time. But is pushing the rear of the lgt165 sideways a bit. The ford is to low to go over the rows and do both side of the row at once. I need a high crop garden tractor. That would help solve the trouble. Then make some thing to do both sides of the row at once.
My MF 14 has more clearance than the ford, so I will maybe look in to that.

Noel

 

[MH81]

The whole process will work easier if you are centered over the row and have two coulter's.

Coulter's will work far easier than steel pushing the dirt.

 

[Greasy6020]

Couldn’t one use a plow?

Just make a pass, turn around and make another furrow to go on/beside the previous furrow.

Edit: make a U turn I guess is what I meant...

 

[Cvans]

From my experience plowing it would be hard to set the plow so it wouldn't turn over too much dirt. The discs on the hiller only go in the ground a couple inches. The discs are rotating and tend to move the soil more than turning it over.
I've dug potatoes with a one bottom plow but you have to go really slow or you damage a lot of spuds. Still better than a shovel.

 

[MH81]

We had a mechanized potato digger.
Chisel blade, chain on egg shaped gear rollers.
One of dad's 10 Best buy's I'm home

The guy who bought it was SO happy to find one.